YOELI: It’s Shevat! It’s time to get ready for some fruit!
YOSSI: Fruit? What are you talking about Yoeli?
YOELI: Well, not just any fruit Yossi, the fruits of Eretz Yisrael!
YOSSI: “Is that really a thing, Yoeli?”
YOELI: Well it’s almost Tu B’Shevat, which is the new year for trees. So we celebrate by eating some of the special fruit from Eretz Yisrael.
YOSSI: If it’s the new year for the trees, why can’t we just eat any fruit? Does it have to be only the special fruits of Eretz Yisrael?
YOELI: Yes! Many people try to eat specifically those fruits! When Eliezer went to find Rivka for Yitzchak, the possuk says that Eliezer gave delicious fruit to Lavan and Rivka’s mother. Rashi says that these were fruits from Eretz Yisrael. Even though he had agreed to let Rivka go only a few pesukim before, Lavan immediately changed his mind and tried to get Rivka to stay for longer.
YOSSI: Hmmm… why?
YOELI: Rav Moshe Wolfson zt”l says that Lavan realized that just by EATING the fruits of Eretz Yisrael, he was becoming more holy. He didn’t like that at all! In fact, the only reason he was zoche to have daughters like Rachel and Leah came from eating those fruits all those years earlier! Feeling holy- which was an uncomfortable feeling for Lavan, he tried to stop Rivka so that Klal Yisrael wouldn’t begin! Baruch Hashem we know he wasn’t successful – but Lavan actually changed after eating Eretz Yisrael fruit!
YOSSI: “Wow! If that’s what it did to Lavan… What would it do for us?
YOELI: “That’s right, Yos! The kedusha of the fruits of Eretz Yisrael! !
YOSSI: Alright, that’s it for now, but there is so much more! Stay tuned, next week!
This article was found in Nekuda Tova Issue 22.